In late October, Maria Grace shared this link on several of the blogs that we both follow, but if you missed it, you might want to take time to read the article carefully, especially if you run giveaways, etc., through your Facebook page. To read the complete article, PLEASE visit the Social Media Examiner’s Website at http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-promotions-what-you-need-to-know/

Facebook Promotions: What You Need to Know

Are you thinking of running a contest or promotion on Facebook?Have the rules imposed by Facebook confused you?

Look no further. This article will provide an in-depth look at Facebook’s promotional rules.

The Tricky Rules

Running a contest on Facebook is a powerful way togenerate buzz, increase engagement, boost your fan count and build your email list. But Facebook has rigorous rules governing what campaigns you can and cannot administer and promote on their platform.

For several years, the contest rules were fairly loose and Facebook users and page admins could pretty much administer whatever campaigns they wished within the confines of Facebook’s general terms (now called Statement of Rights and Responsibilities).

However, in 2009, Facebook severely tightened up their promotion guidelines, causing a great deal of confusion even two years later. To quote Susan Getgoodon her post about Facebook contests:

Bottom line, Facebook doesn’t want any explicit involvement in ANY of your contests. It’s all about liability, and the Facebook promo guidelines are designed to distance the social network from whatever companies and bloggers do with their contests.